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Herald Reporter

JUSTICE and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa says the country will hold any future referendums using the Referendums Act that was promulgated in 2000.

In an interview at the weekend, Minister Chinamasa said there was no need for the country to come up with a new Referendums Act or to amend the current one because it was valid.
This is contrary to utterances by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairman Retired judge Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe that there was no law governing the holding of elections in Zimbabwe.

Justice Mutambanengwe last week said a referendum would only be conducted after the country comes up with a new Referendums Act.
He said the current Referendums Act was promulgated in 2000 for the referendum held that year and was now invalid for future referendums.

“It is not true for one to say there is no law. The law is there and it gives the ZEC the responsibility to conduct referendums,” said Minister Chinamasa.

“The Referendums Act that is there is for all times and any impression that there is no law is wrong.”
The Minister said unlike in general elections, one does not require to be a registered voter to vote in a referendum.

“What is needed only is for one to go to a polling station and produce identification particulars in the form of national identity card, a passport or a driver’s licence,” he said.

He said it was ZEC’s responsibility to hold elections not the Register General’s office.
“The issue is for ZEC to be ready and once the date is announced they should start preparing,” he said.

Minister Chinamasa said no voting facilities would be set up for Zimbabweans leaving in the diaspora.
He said the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs had attempted to amend the Referendums Act without success.

“The Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs wants to amend the current law and they are proposing that we set up voting facilities for those in the diaspora but we have refused that. The Global Political Agreement negotiators have rejected that and will never accept that. No one will set up facilities for those outside the country’s borders,” he said.

Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga had indicated last week that the whole Act needed to be revamped to make it suitable for current conditions.

ZEC has indicated that it needs over US$223 million for the elections and a referendum.
The referendum, according to ZEC, needs US$80 million, while the rest is for elections.

The country is this year expected to hold a referendum and subsequently general elections after the completion of the constitution making process.